Boxing Day is celebrated in Canada (and other countries). Wikipedia has all the info about it. Actually Boxing Day is also one week to the day of the 2nd day of the new year to come. Which made me think of a Christmas letter delivered me by an older gentleman I know. In it he commented on the poor economy and the USA's current situation stating it was clear we are in the time of the Lord's return. Later he made mention of the USA's need to repent and be revived. I took from it that God was judging the United States for it's unrepentant spirit with a bad economic outlook. I'm sure this sort of message is ringing loud in many common churches across the country. I wonder if they'll answer why the oil-rich countries have prosperous economies even though they follow Muslim teachings?
I read a post from Mart DeHaan from RBC Ministries some time back and bookmarked it for future reading. As I revisited it today I read the comments made and they were intriguing! Here is an excerpt from it:
"Over the past decade there has been growing controversy about “a new way of doing church.”
The debate has been generational in nature. Many of our sons and daughters are forming or joining congregations that don’t look or sound like our kind of church. Yet, they are likely to tell us that they are just trying to be authentic followers of Jesus and that many of us have been unfair in our criticism of them. See, for instance, New Zealander Andrew Jones’ eloquent defense of these emerging groups at “What I Would Say to the Young American Emerging Churches.”
The emergent phenomena, however, has been marked by bad blood. Some members of the traditional church have characterized these communities as critical, culturally obsessed, biblically illiterate, and more interested in taking the church apart than in building it.
From where I sit, seems to me that what is needed is the kind of wisdom that some of the first church leaders showed when they called in Paul and Barnabas and listened to their story (Acts 15).
Here’s some of what I think we would hear.
Many emerging churches affirm:
The tri-unity of God as a basis for valuing community rather than self-centered individualism.
Faith as a conversation and a journey rather than just a declaration and decision.
Taking a “both/and” rather than an “either/or” approach to eternal salvation and social involvement; the letters of Paul and the Gospels of Jesus; our church and the kingdom of God.
Seeing the church as a movement rather than just an organization.
A desire to reach a generation largely untouched by traditional churches.
Valuing creativity and variety in worship styles.
Seeing spiritual leadership as a matter of example rather than authority and control.
A willingness to think through the doctrines of the church rather than just taking for granted that their parents generation had it right.
Living the Bible rather than just studying and defending it.
Seeing not only the truth of God but also the mystery.
It’s important to understand, however that these values will often be expressed as a reaction to and sense of disillusionment with the churches of their parents’ generation.
Emerging communities often take issue with:
Emphasizing the letters of Paul while ignoring the Gospels of Jesus.
Condemning homosexuality and abortion while ignoring sins of pride, racial prejudice, greed, divisiveness, and hypocrisy.
Defending doctrinal statements with anger and intimidation rather than with reason.
Regarding arguable or possible implications of the Bible as absolutes and tests of orthodoxy.
Interpreting the Bible as if it was written in our generation rather trying to understand what it meant in the times in which it was written.
Preoccupation with prophetic scenarios while ignoring the needs of poverty and justice within our own church families and communities.
Following male leadership that does not include or respect the needs and thoughts of women.
Seeing church authority as a matter of hierarchy and control rather than example and servant attitudes.
Viewing the church as an institution rather than as a community.
Focusing on unchanging forms of worship rather than fresh expressions that reflect continual renewal.
Attempts to marry the church to political power.
Emphasis on professional clergy rather than encouraging whole-church participation.
A failure of the traditional church to confront abusive patriarchy, warfare, and injustice.
Efforts of the church to bring people in rather than going out to them.
Outreach that sounds angry and condemning rather than embodying the attitudes and methods of Jesus.
Teaching that focuses on texts and doctrines rather than on the story and stories of the Bible.
Church leaders who cater to rich and powerful members.
Use of a code-language (church jargon) that self-identifies and self-authenticates insiders while remaining confusing or misleading to those outside of Christ.
Attempts to maintain a theology that doesn’t leave room for the mystery of God."
On this day after Christmas, I've read for about an hour and a half, about church staff workers and others who have been disenfranchised from their church mostly because they sensed the need to be missional, real, open, honest and live Christ in their sphere of influence.
Sadly, the USA is unrepentant because the common church is in sleep-mode. The comforts of a church building and warm christian fellowship is keeping the church silent rather than attractive to those who have deep questions that only Christ can answer. Dan Kimball says the church is in it's comfortable little bubble like the little glass bulb with a beautiful winter scene that you shake and it snows. He says too that the church is happy and content in that bubble. A loving church moving in the world living Jesus before their 'spheres' will not win everyone to Jesus but many will sit up and take notice and even take Him seriously. We as Christ-followers are not here to create a heaven-on-earth existence but to proclaim Jesus to those non Christ-followers with His love and His message of hope by our REAL actions and the Living Word!
2009 could possibly be the year of Christ's return. But it will be based on God's pre-ordained plan ... because, you see, when Jesus returns it will be not just for Christians in the United States but for Christ-followers world-wide. That's why Jesus' last words recorded before His ascension were, "... you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." ACTS 1:8 TNIV (emphasis mine).
The common church in the United States has lost Jesus' mandate in verse eight, because it's comfortable and warm within it's walls. The emerging church (in the manner DeHaan describes) is willing for messy spirituality ... willing to allow the messiness of the sinner to splash on us that we might have a voice of hope and love from Jesus to them! I am excited for those opportunities and have encountered them almost on a weekly basis for the past five years now. Let's all abandon the comfortable snow bubble and enter the mission field in our neighborhoods and workplaces shining the light od Jesus' love. LOVE GOD - LOVE OTHERS - MAKE DISCIPLES!
I read a post from Mart DeHaan from RBC Ministries some time back and bookmarked it for future reading. As I revisited it today I read the comments made and they were intriguing! Here is an excerpt from it:
"Over the past decade there has been growing controversy about “a new way of doing church.”
The debate has been generational in nature. Many of our sons and daughters are forming or joining congregations that don’t look or sound like our kind of church. Yet, they are likely to tell us that they are just trying to be authentic followers of Jesus and that many of us have been unfair in our criticism of them. See, for instance, New Zealander Andrew Jones’ eloquent defense of these emerging groups at “What I Would Say to the Young American Emerging Churches.”
The emergent phenomena, however, has been marked by bad blood. Some members of the traditional church have characterized these communities as critical, culturally obsessed, biblically illiterate, and more interested in taking the church apart than in building it.
From where I sit, seems to me that what is needed is the kind of wisdom that some of the first church leaders showed when they called in Paul and Barnabas and listened to their story (Acts 15).
Here’s some of what I think we would hear.
Many emerging churches affirm:
The tri-unity of God as a basis for valuing community rather than self-centered individualism.
Faith as a conversation and a journey rather than just a declaration and decision.
Taking a “both/and” rather than an “either/or” approach to eternal salvation and social involvement; the letters of Paul and the Gospels of Jesus; our church and the kingdom of God.
Seeing the church as a movement rather than just an organization.
A desire to reach a generation largely untouched by traditional churches.
Valuing creativity and variety in worship styles.
Seeing spiritual leadership as a matter of example rather than authority and control.
A willingness to think through the doctrines of the church rather than just taking for granted that their parents generation had it right.
Living the Bible rather than just studying and defending it.
Seeing not only the truth of God but also the mystery.
It’s important to understand, however that these values will often be expressed as a reaction to and sense of disillusionment with the churches of their parents’ generation.
Emerging communities often take issue with:
Emphasizing the letters of Paul while ignoring the Gospels of Jesus.
Condemning homosexuality and abortion while ignoring sins of pride, racial prejudice, greed, divisiveness, and hypocrisy.
Defending doctrinal statements with anger and intimidation rather than with reason.
Regarding arguable or possible implications of the Bible as absolutes and tests of orthodoxy.
Interpreting the Bible as if it was written in our generation rather trying to understand what it meant in the times in which it was written.
Preoccupation with prophetic scenarios while ignoring the needs of poverty and justice within our own church families and communities.
Following male leadership that does not include or respect the needs and thoughts of women.
Seeing church authority as a matter of hierarchy and control rather than example and servant attitudes.
Viewing the church as an institution rather than as a community.
Focusing on unchanging forms of worship rather than fresh expressions that reflect continual renewal.
Attempts to marry the church to political power.
Emphasis on professional clergy rather than encouraging whole-church participation.
A failure of the traditional church to confront abusive patriarchy, warfare, and injustice.
Efforts of the church to bring people in rather than going out to them.
Outreach that sounds angry and condemning rather than embodying the attitudes and methods of Jesus.
Teaching that focuses on texts and doctrines rather than on the story and stories of the Bible.
Church leaders who cater to rich and powerful members.
Use of a code-language (church jargon) that self-identifies and self-authenticates insiders while remaining confusing or misleading to those outside of Christ.
Attempts to maintain a theology that doesn’t leave room for the mystery of God."
On this day after Christmas, I've read for about an hour and a half, about church staff workers and others who have been disenfranchised from their church mostly because they sensed the need to be missional, real, open, honest and live Christ in their sphere of influence.
Sadly, the USA is unrepentant because the common church is in sleep-mode. The comforts of a church building and warm christian fellowship is keeping the church silent rather than attractive to those who have deep questions that only Christ can answer. Dan Kimball says the church is in it's comfortable little bubble like the little glass bulb with a beautiful winter scene that you shake and it snows. He says too that the church is happy and content in that bubble. A loving church moving in the world living Jesus before their 'spheres' will not win everyone to Jesus but many will sit up and take notice and even take Him seriously. We as Christ-followers are not here to create a heaven-on-earth existence but to proclaim Jesus to those non Christ-followers with His love and His message of hope by our REAL actions and the Living Word!
2009 could possibly be the year of Christ's return. But it will be based on God's pre-ordained plan ... because, you see, when Jesus returns it will be not just for Christians in the United States but for Christ-followers world-wide. That's why Jesus' last words recorded before His ascension were, "... you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." ACTS 1:8 TNIV (emphasis mine).
The common church in the United States has lost Jesus' mandate in verse eight, because it's comfortable and warm within it's walls. The emerging church (in the manner DeHaan describes) is willing for messy spirituality ... willing to allow the messiness of the sinner to splash on us that we might have a voice of hope and love from Jesus to them! I am excited for those opportunities and have encountered them almost on a weekly basis for the past five years now. Let's all abandon the comfortable snow bubble and enter the mission field in our neighborhoods and workplaces shining the light od Jesus' love. LOVE GOD - LOVE OTHERS - MAKE DISCIPLES!
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